For the Want of a Kiss
by ReKoJ
Summary: Sean walks in on Hank and Alex. Everyone puts in their two cents.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The first time that Alex and Hank had gotten walked in on, Hank who'd been sort of on the fence about their relationship in the first place had very nearly called it quits. Sean had come in to ask if Alex wanted to play a video game with him (he had already checked Alex's room and had found it empty), instead of knocking he'd walked right in. "Hey Alex, did you..." The rest of his sentence died on his lips as he opened the door.

Hank had both of Alex's hands in one of his and they were pinned above his head. Hank was baring his teeth and snarling. As far as Sean was concerned he looked pissed off.

Sean stayed in the doorway, he felt safe there, even though he knew that Alex's own safety could be in peril. He decided that he was going to have to step in, Alex was his friend (they weren't best friends but he was like the brother that Sean never had) and he didn't want anything to happen to him.

He took a deep breath and waited, He took another deep breath and knew that if he didn't say or do something then he was a coward. After all, this was Hank. It wasn't like he was a wild animal with no feelings or connections to the people around him. Sean was fairly confident that Hank wouldn't kill him. "Ah, Hank? Maybe you should take a walk...you know to calm down?"

Alex had closed his eyes in what Sean had mistaken for relief. Hank had released Alex's hands and bolted out of the room, nearly knocking Sean down in the process. As soon as Sean picked himself up he ran to where Alex was leaning against the wall, with his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath, "Alex, what was that about? Are you okay. Maybe I should get Charles."

Alex shook his head. "Don't bother."

As Alex opened his eyes and focused them on Banshee, Sean realized that Alex was pissed and this confused him more than anything. "What gives Alex? I probably just saved your life and you're mad at me?! I don't know what has gotten into Hank but I still think that we should tell the Professor."

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sean, nothing has gotten into Hank; he was going to kiss me." Ales left the room, he had to find Hank and try to reassure him that everything was alright. Sean just watched his friend leave, for the life of him he couldn't understand why Hank would want to kiss Alex.


	2. Chapter 2

Untitled

Chapter 2

Sean didn't get it and it wasn't that he was stupid. It was just that the thought had never occurred to him that Hank and Alex were a couple. He was walking through the school looking for Charles (for a guy in a wheelchair, he never seemed to be around).Instead of Charles, he found Erik and Raven. They were sitting on the couch in the rec room, watching television.

"Have either one of you seen Charles?" He waited impatiently for their answer.

Raven just put her head on Erik's shoulder, it wasn't that Sean was a bad kid it was just that she found him to be irritating. She chalked it up to him being one of the youngest out of the group. Erik, realizing that she wasn't going to answer shook his head. "Did you try his library or perhaps he is outside..."

Sean nodded his thanks, rather than say anything. Sean left the room quickly, he needed to to find Charles. The more that he thought about it, the more he realized that if there was something wrong with Hank and Alex was wrong, or covering something up, he knew that he needed to find Charles quickly. As luck would have it, he found Charles in the front garden. He was sitting with his eyes closed, facing away from the school. As Sean studied him he realizes that he had no idea if Charles was even awake.

Charles, on the other hand, was awake. He'd heard Sean's thoughts long before the child had even come outside. "Yes, Sean?"

Sean stopped just behind the wheelchair. Sometimes having a psychic in the school was a good thing and other times (like this) it was creepy. "I need to talk to you; it's about Hank." By this point both Raven and Erik had some outside, Alex was there because he'd been looking for Hank.

"Sean, I'm quite certain that you misinterpreted what you saw." Charles' tone was gentle and his eyes were kind.

Sean shook his head. "You weren't there. I swear, it looked as though Hank was going to bite him."

Charles smiled gently and shook his head. "I'm sure that what you saw looked frightening but I'm telling you, I don't think that Hank was trying to harm Alex."

Sean looked at Charles, he could feel his eyes sting as the realization hit him. "You don't believe me."

Again Charles shook his head. "it's not that I don't believe you, it's that Hank loves him."

There was a soft thud as Alex hit his head against the garden wall. Even Erik and Raven heard the noise and had went outside to investigate. Everyone turned to where Alex was standing. "He wasn't trying to hurt me. He was just aroused and I don't see what everyone's problem is. If one of us was a girl no one would have anything to say. This is bullshit!"

Alex left them all in stunned silence. He needed to find Hank before word got back to him that they'd been outed. If he found out by one of the other students, Alex knew that their relationship would be over.


	3. Chapter 3

p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Hank was back in his room trying to decide what to do. He knew that the whole school probably knew about his relationship with Alex and he was mortified. He had known that they would have found out eventually but he had always figured that it would be on their own terms; not like this./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He was so deep in his own misery that he jumped when there was a knock on his door. He sighed as he opened the door; mentally preparing himself for the teasing and the ridicule that he was certain was on the other side. He opened the door and was surprised to find Alex standing on the other side. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders were hunched. It saddened Hank when he realized that his boyfriend looked as though they had already broken up. "Alex." As he spoke he opened the door wider, allowing the other boy in./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Alex continued to stand in the room as he grabbed one of Hank's hands. "I think that we need to talk."/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hank looked into his eyes, trying to get some clue as to what Alex wanted. When he couldn't figure it out, he settled for trying to imagine what his life would be like; having to live in the same building as Alex, knowing that he had been so close to happiness and to not have it./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It was almost like Alex could read his mind. Alex smiled at Hank, it was the sort of smile that made Hank go weak in the knees. "It's not a death sentence Hank. I just wanted to talk to you; to make sure that you were okay. I care about you and don't want to see you get hurt."/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hank couldn't help but roll his eyes. "So, you're breaking up with me so I don't get hurt?" The skepticism was clear in his voice./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Alex's eyes widened momentarily as the meaning of Hank's words sunk in. "No, I'm not breaking up with you. I just know that you have been uncomfortable and unsure about this relationship and I want to make sure that you aren't freaking out."/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hank pulled Alex into a hug. Alex laid his hand on Hank's massive shoulder, inhaling the unique scent that was Hank. When Hank seemed to have settled down, Alex pulled away slightly, he twirled some of Hank's blue fur around his finger. It always surprised Alex how soft his hair/fur was. "Not that I'm complaining but you need a hair cut."/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hank closed his eyes and growled. He knew that it was getting to be that time again, He knew that it was necessary but that didn't mean that he was happy about./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Alex gave him a pat on the shoulder and a wink. "Don't worry, after supper we'll take a shower and then I'll give you a trim." Alex wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and suddenly Hank thought that a hair cut sounded very good. Hank swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat. It always amazed him that someone like Alex Summers could love him. In his eyes, Alex was perfect. "How did I get so lucky?"/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"As Alex hugged him again he muttered into Hank's fur. "I'm the lucky one." They stood like that until it was time for supper. And unknown to everyone at the table, during supper they held hands./span/p 


	4. Chapter 4

p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"No one really thought much of it when both Hank and Alex were quiet during supper. Charles did raise a questioning eyebrow when both boys helped clear the table in record time and mysteriously disappear upstairs once the dishwasher had been loaded. He could have just read their minds but he knew that that would be a breach of their trust, and he knew that once he crossed that line he would be unable to uncross it./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"After over an hour had passed and both boys had yet to come back down Sean had decided to go upstairs and check on them. He'd been a bit afraid to considering what had happened the last time he had gone to go check on them but at the same time he was just as worried as the rest of them. More important than that he's lost the draw./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He went to Alex's room first and was only mildly surprised to discover it was empty. He walked across the hall to Hank's room, the door was closed and when he knocked there was no answer. He very carefully opened the door and when he peered around the corner he was surprised to find that the main room was empty and the door to the bathroom was closed. He quietly walked into the room and pressed his ear against the bathroom door./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He heard the sounds of water running. He opened the door just a crack, the steam from the shower made it almost impossible to see. As his eyes adjusted he was shocked by what he saw and knew that he should have just left once he realized that they were in the bathroom. /spanspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"But he couldn't unsee what was in front of him. Hank was being washed by Alex. They were naked. Together. He quickly closed the door and walked back downstairs./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He went into the common room where most people were watching the television. "The next time you want someone to check on them, pick anyone but me. I just saw more of both of them then I ever wanted to. I have to go bleach my eyes." As he left the room Charles gave him a quizzical look meanwhile Erik just shook his head. "Over-reacting as always."/span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"A few minutes later Sean came in from outside and sat on the couch. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before the other two came downstairs. He knew that when they did and everyone saw that Alex was in new clothes with wet hair they would see that he was not over-reacting. Just as he had thought with in minutes of his own arrival both boys came back downstairs and instead of looking smug Sean just stared in disbelief. Alex was completely dry and still in the same clothes, meanwhile Hank's blue fur was slightly damp and shorter. "What the?" Sean couldn't even finish his sentence. He knew what he had seen./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Alex clapped his hand on Banshee's shoulder. " Everyone needs a hair cut." Sean just stared at him as everyone went back to watching TV with Erik muttering about Sean's over-reaction to a haircut. Hank just smiled at Sean, the only indication he would get that he hadn't been hallucinating./span/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The End./span/p 


End file.
